I might have to get one of these "compost" piles...

If he was baiting/composting on his OWN land why does the Wisconsin DNR even care or have any say! Wisconsin's Government = joke! Why I moved -Go North Dakota!(where people tend to worry about themselves!)
(And I can carry a concealed weapon... jealous Wisconsinites?)

North Dakota is simple: no baiting on public land (ND Law Attached below)

Hunting Big Game Over Bait (North Dakota Law)
Hunting big game over bait on Department wildlife management areas is prohibited. Hunting over bait is defined as the placement and/or use of bait(s) for attracting big game and other wildlife to a specific location for the purpose of hunting. Baits include but are not limited to grains, minerals, salts, fruits, vegetables, hay or any other natural or manufactured foods. The designation does not apply to the use of scents and lures, water, food plots, standing crops or livestock feeds being used in standard practices. Hunting over bait is also not allowed on all U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service national wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas; U.S. Forest Service national grasslands; and all North Dakota state school, state park and state forest service lands.

I know the farmer in question. He also happens to be an employee of the DNR. I also know the warden involved. She has a huge chip on her shoulder when it comes to certain people. The farmer took his crop to the farmers market to sell over a period of weeks. What wasn't sold, and there was no corn involved to my knowledge, just pumpkins and GORDS not squash, he brought the leftovers back and tossed them in the field to be tilled under with fall prep. There were also numerous small, unsellable pumpkins scattered throughout this 10 acre field, still on the vines. He was cited for baiting even though the number of throwbacks was considerably less than the number left in the field.
It will surprise me if they let the warden push it through to the state Supreme court. It's a chronic waste of time and money, when she should be pursuing legitimate poachers and violators which run rampant in Iron COunty.

I don't think you have heard the last of the story.

In Iowa we can not bait, but you can grow corn/beans and leave it for the deer, but you cant move it or pick it and dump it in one place. This guy being a producer of sweet corn, squash and pumpkins would have a ton of not sale quality crops and when the first freeze hits everything on the vine is ruined, so they have alot of stuff to compost. If its left on the plant still I would think hes fine, but if he piles the crops in front of his bowstand, that to me seems to be baiting. But if there is a composting area used every year, can you hunt near it?

There are places like Texas where seeing deer in daylight often requires bait. Now seeing deer go to a timed feeder like a Pavloian experiment is just rediculous. Anyway, in the upper midwest, baiting (especially near livestock)is like opening the backdoor for CWD and TB. That's why it's frowned on. There's always going to be a gathering of cervadids near beet piles and other agricultural waste. This won't be going away anytime soon.

Steve182,
Very true. How are they gonna know what your real intentions are? Maybe it's truly just an honest compost pile or maybe it's only purpose is to hunt over.

I happen to know a wee bit about composting agricultural materials. In order for the "pile" of mixed commodities to actually be a compost pile it must be turned periodically. It will also contain other materials like manure (nitrogen and microbe source) to assure the proper carbon to nitrogen ratio for effective composting. As depicted in your photo, steam will rise as the pile heats up internally from the action of microbes breaking down the organinc components. If properly turned and maintained seeds will be heated and sterilized and the odor from the plie will be relatively pleasant. If not maintained properly it will become a festering heap, a sure a sign of a "bait" pile as anything...

Can you imagine if all states banned baiting, food plots and(only in WIS-CON-SIN)compost piles how many "hunters" would be crying and whineing because they actually didn't know how to hunt???

Edstoresit- thanks for the info. I sure would not call that a compost pile or illegal baiting. I dont know about the deer in Wisconsin, but you would not see many deer around here feeding on old pumpkins and gords.My kids pet pig wont even eat them.

Nate- I agree